Social capital, resource bricolage and micro-innovation strategies for rural tourism small enterprises: A longitudinal case study

Abstract

Micro-innovation strategies are crucial for rural tourism small enterprises, particularly in emerging economies, but their complexity and effectiveness remain underexplored in the tourism literature. This study integrates the resource bricolage and social capital frameworks to explore how tourism small enterprises implement micro-innovation strategies by conducting a longitudinal case study of Mengdong Company in rural China. The findings reveal a three-stage evolutionary process: first, micro-innovation is differentiated through bridging capital, network bricolage, and spatial bricolage to access external resources; second, micro-innovation is integrated by bonding capital, organizational bricolage, and market bricolage to enhance internal capabilities; finally, collaborative micro-innovation using linking capital, social bricolage, and market bricolage to promote multi stakeholder collaboration. There are two key drivers of this evolution: the temporal sequencing of diverse forms of social capital that enable strategic adaptation and the combinatorial logic of bricolage that transforms resource constraints into opportunities. Theoretically, the framework reconceptualizes micro-innovation as a stakeholder-driven dynamic process, emphasizing the roles of social capital and resource bricolage. Practically, this study provides valuable insights and managerial recommendations for fostering the innovative development of these enterprises in rural areas.